The research of Dr. Ni is focused on the composition/microstructure design and failure mechanisms of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs). He explored the fibers/interphase degradation mechanisms of UHTCMCs and proposed novel design ideas of damage isolation and protection for the fibers/interphase. He also revealed the key mechanisms of ablation resistance at elevated temperatures for UHTCMCs. Accordingly, he put forward a design strategy for ablation resistance improvement of UHTCMCs by stabilizing ablation oxide phases and tailoring ablation oxide melts viscosity using rare earth elements. As a result, the load bearing and ablation resistant issues of UHTCMCs under extreme mechanical-thermal coupling environment were solved. He further innovated the fabrication science of UHTCMCs, broke through high-performance and low-cost UHTCMCs technologies, overcoming the cost constraint problems for the mass application of UHTCMCs.

Representative works in recent years (limited to 5):

1. Xuegang Zou, Dewei Ni*, Bowen Chen, Jun Lu, Feiyan Cai, Yanyan Qin, Le Gao, Xiangyu Zhang, Yusheng Ding, Shaoming Dong*, Ablation behavior and mechanisms of 3D-C_f/Ta_0.8Hf_0.2C-SiC composite at temperatures up to 2500 °C, Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 43 [4] 1284-1294 (2023).

2. Feiyan Cai, Dewei Ni*, Weichao Bao, Bowen Chen, Jun Lu, Xuegang Zou, Yanyan Qin, Shaoming Dong*, Ablation behavior and mechanisms of C_f/(Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Hf_0.2 Nb_0.2Ta_0.2)C-SiC high-entropy ceramic matrix composites, Composites Part B-Engineering, 243: 110184 (2022).

3. Bo-Wen Chen, De-Wei Ni*, Jun Lu, Fei-Yan Cai, Xue-Gang Zou, Chun-Jing Liao, Hong-Da Wang, Shao-Ming Dong*, Long-term and cyclic ablation behavior of La₂O₃ modified C_f/ZrB₂-SiC composites at 2500 °C, Corrosion Science, 206: 110538 (2022).

4. Dewei Ni^#, Yuan Cheng^#, Jiaping Zhang^#, Jixuan Liu^#, Ji Zou^#, Bowen Chen, Haoyang Wu, Hejun Li, Shaoming Dong, Jiecai Han, Xinghong Zhang*, Qiangang Fu*, Guo-Jun Zhang*, Advances in ultra-high temperature ceramics, composites and coatings, Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 11 [1] 1-56 (2022).

5. Feiyan Cai, Dewei Ni*, Bowen Chen, Li Ye, Yanan Sun, Jun Lu, Xuegang Zou, Haijun Zhou, Ping He, Tong Zhao, Shaoming Dong*, Fabrication and properties of C_f/(Ti_0.2Zr_0.2Hf_0.2Nb_0.2Ta_0.2)C-SiC high-entropy ceramic matrix composites via precursor infiltration and pyrolysis, Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 41 [12] 5863-5871 (2021).